6. Barrio de San Roque

This is the Indiano district par excellence. Most of the first wave of returning emigrants in the 1870s chose to settle in this area, which used to be the outskirts of town. Their houses are spacious in contrast with other buildings of that time. They boast large windows and shapes that clashed with the stark style prevalent in 19th century Galicia. The newcomers spared no expense in decorating their façades and surrounding their houses with gardens (rather than crop fields). They raised fences and installed wrought iron gates and doors with intricately decorated woodwork. Although these houses were built by local professionals, the commissioners wanted their homes to follow the trends and tastes prevalent in Buenos Aires and Havana, and even imported ideas from mythified Paris.

There are Indiano houses on both sides of Calle San Roque. There is a wealth of variety in these constructions, but they are easy to distinguish from traditional houses. All of them, exuberant or unassuming, are inspired by then-trendy American architectural models. Some owners adapted their plans to the suggestions of local builders, which can be seen, for example, in some of the unique balconies. It is worth noting that some of the façades were tiled during the 1960s, when tiles were advertised as a good insulating material, because of concerns of moisture damaging the walls and creeping into the houses.